Asia has the world’s most vacation-deprived workers

Asia has some of the world’s most demanding bosses, according to survey results from Expedia’s 2012 Vacation Deprivation survey.

Employees in the region are the most vacation-deprived, with employees continuing to take the fewest days off and work the longest week.

The most workaholic countries are South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, with employees clocking in a staggering average of 44 hours a week.

When it comes to vacation time, Japanese workers are the worst off, with the average employee taking only five out of the 13 days off each year. South Korean comes in a close second, with workers taking seven out of a possible 10 vacation days.

Half of respondents in Asia were uncertain if their bosses were supportive of them taking time off, with 59% of Koreans and 54% of Taiwanese topping the list. In Singapore, 36% of respondents pin the blame on their managers for hindering their holidays.

The study also showed that 41% of Singaporeans either cancelled or postponed their time-off due to work commitments, and close to 19% reported they are unable to plan their vacation in advance as it depends on their work schedule.

Even for those who manage to go on holiday, the majority of Singaporeans (80%) admitted to checking in on work matters while on holiday.

"With the widespread global connectivity we enjoy nowadays, it’s is not at all surprising that Singaporeans are finding it difficult to detach themselves from work. Furthermore, there might also be a decrease in perceptions of job security that has Singaporeans put in the extra hours at work, even when away on holiday,” explained Dan Lynn, CEO, AirAsiaExpedia.